Thousands of rally in Adelaide, calling for climate change action
Thousands of people gathered on the steps of Parliament on Friday, demanding stronger action on climate change.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thousands of people rallied on the steps of Parliament House on Friday, calling for stronger action on climate change as bushfires rage across the country.
Uni Students for Climate Justice organised the rally, saying that close to 10,000 people had attended.
Huge turn out in Adelaide for the Climate rally. Thousands of people demanding a climate policy that is fit for the crisis we are in. #climatefires #ClimateEmegency
— Sarah Hanson-Young💚 (@sarahinthesen8) January 10, 2020
#climateprotest #AustraliaBurns pic.twitter.com/AurjsTHTbu
It was part of several rallies across Australia, joining tens of thousands of people in Melbourne and Sydney.
Speakers called for a transition away from fossil fuel extraction and stronger leadership on addressing Australia’s “ecological crisis”.
Ana Obradovic said the movement must target “coal-loving politicians”, mining magnates, climate deniers “and anyone that would continue this criminal business as usual”.
She said fossil fuel extraction was contributing to the country’s horror fire danger season, which has seen blazes raging for months.
Ms Obradovic said people had the power to change policy direction.
A high school student and climate activist, introduced as Audrey, referred to the human and animal lives lost so far this summer.
Absolutely huge #climate rally in Adelaide right now and getting bigger by the minute screaming out #ClimateActionNow to â¦@ScottMorrisonMPâ© and all politicians #auspol #sapol â¦@350Australiaâ© â¦@FossilFreeSAâ© pic.twitter.com/Lx1RPUgSRy
— Glen Klatovsky (@glenklatovsky) January 10, 2020
“Species are on the brink of extinction and more and are being lost every day as bushfires continue to ravage indigenous land,” she said.
An MFS truck tooted as it passed the rally with the crowd cheering in response.
Climate change rally in Adelaide on the steps of Parliament, massive crowd, biggest I've seen at a rally there pic.twitter.com/bT2SGGX8AQ
— Chris Stansfield (@ChrisStansfie12) January 10, 2020
Thousands of protesters also gathered in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney to call for more action on climate change and the sacking of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Despite pleas from Victorian police and the premier to reschedule the Melbourne event to a less risky fire day, several thousand protesters huddled under umbrellas at the State Library.
Many held banners that read “Time is Running Out,” “Declare a Climate Emergency,” “You have blood on your hands, Morrison,” “Make Fossil Fuels History,” and “Sack ScoMo.”
More than 10,000 people rallied at Town Hall Square in Sydney with similar banners.
Protesters in both cities chanted “ScoMo has got to go” while Sydney protesters also yelled “the liar from the shire our country is on fire.”
Sydney protester Ambrose Hayes, 14, told AAP people were “fed up” with Mr Morrison because he’s not acting enough on the “climate crisis”.
“This (the bushfire crisis) is caused by climate change, there is no denying it and they’re (the government) just letting it happen,” he said. “They’re not listening to us.”
Izzy Raj-Seppings, the 13-year-old who made headlines when she was moved on by police during a climate protest outside Kirribilli House in December, called on Mr Morrison to step up.
“What have you done when your country burns? What have you done when the kids are crying?,” she said on Friday.
Mr Morrison this week announced an initial $2 billion bushfires recovery fund and handed over an immediate payment of $60 million to council areas affected by the fires.
He has flagged a royal commission and says any national inquiry into the bushfires crisis would need to examine the impact of climate change.
But while acknowledging there was an appetite to examine the impacts of climate change, he said he would not consider a stronger commitment to carbon emission reductions.
Australia was already “meeting and carrying” its burden on greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Morrison said on Friday.
The Melbourne protest was criticised by Premier Daniel Andrews who warned the protesters could jeopardise their standing by staging a protest that diverts police resources away from bushfires.
“The protest, against the advice of the police, in the middle of a disaster, that is when you start losing public support, not adding to your public support,” he told reporters on Friday.
“I respect people’s right to have a view, I tend to agree with a lot of the points that are being made – climate change is real – but there is a time and a place for everything and I just don’t think a protest tonight was the appropriate thing to do.”
– with AAP